Neji's Helper Til' Death Do Them Apart
by Purplecherry5
Summary: Sad death oneshot. Neji never noticed the little things Ten Ten did for him. Well, he didn't til' she died, yes, proctecting him, did he. And destiny had nothing to do with it. Love did.


AN: Well, after watching MANY tenxneji videos….yes people…**I wanted to write a story not revolving sasuxsaku.** I know, VERY different. Well, hope it's ok!!! Even though it's a death fic…really, my first try at this couple, and I make one die. NIIIICE.

DISCLAIMER: (Listens to song 'High School Never Ends') DANG IT!!!!! I SOOOOOO wish I owned Bowling for Soup and Naruto…ahh, would life not be complete like a circle?? (Makes a square with index fingers.) XD

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OoOoOoOoOoO When they were 12 OoOoOoOoOoO

Ten Ten leaned over just a little and huffed out of breath as Neji did, who in front of her with his byakugan activated. Yes, it was another sparing afternoon with Neji in Ten Ten's schedule that always had at lest 3 days of sparing with Neji in it. And she never argued when he would just walk up to her as she was roaming the town and enjoying it, and Neji requested a sparing match in 10 minutes. Which is what happened today. They had been at it for about 30 minutes. Neji straightened up. Ten Ten watched him. It was a thing that she could do for hours and not get bored. He had such graceful movements. But what to expect of a Hyuga, to be clumsy? No, not at all. Neji would often tell Ten Ten to straighten up herself. He never did, and will, like messes.

"Let's settle this for the day and go." He would always say this, and never add home to the end of the sentence. Ten Ten tried as hard as she possibly could to understand Neji. That also involved his family and the relationship in it.

She had once met Haishi. My, did she feel intimidated by him by the way he looked at her. He had asked (demanded) to see Neji's team before the first meeting. Ten Ten had almost giggled out loud when she had seen his eyebrow go up at looking at Gai's appearance. Really though, who wouldn't? Good thing Rock Lee didn't look like some small doll of Gai back then. Good grief! But he still did have those bust eyebrows...ew. (But she learned that they kinda grow onto you after a while.)

"Hai." She told him knowing what to expect next. He was going to beat her. How, who knows. It was different every time they did it. This time she flinched as he cut off her chakara supply in a split second. She fell forward. Even though she was tired and wanted to accept defeat, she didn't stay on the ground and got up as quickly as she could. But she hurt too much and lay back down. The sound of Neji walking away-oh-so gracefully probably- could barely be heard. And that part was something that Ten Ten also knew was going to happen; Neji would walk away with a noble glow and she Ten Ten would be on the ground, or in pain with no help.

OoOoOoOoOoO 3 years later OoOoOoOoOoO

"Huh, he, ya!" Ten Ten made small noises and grunts as she fought off some ninjas on their mission. She could hear a cry of pain as Neji did something to a guy next to her. He was a ruthless killer sometimes, even at 15.

After more and more fighting, Ten Ten and Neji stopped to take a well deserved breath. Rock Lee and Gai were off somewhere else with their own battle. She looked at Neji who was looking around with his activated eyes for more ninjas. He shook his head indicating that Lee and Gai were still at it, but besides the ninjas crowed around those two ready to fight, there were no more. Ten Ten nodded and noticed a large scrape on Neji's left arm. She took the items that would be used to clean it and started towards Neji. When he noticed what she was going to attempt to do, he swatted her arm painfully.

"I'm fine. I'll do it myself later." Ten Ten looked down at the ground. Lately she had gotten closer to that one girl, Sakura, after Sasuke left the village. She had felt a connection; both liked a boy that always told them to leave, that they could do it themselves. And both felt hurt cuz' of it. Ten Ten always tried to help Neji in her own silent way. But it always seemed to go un-noticed. And it seemed like those little things always would go un-noticed...

OoOoOoOoOoO 2 years later OoOoOoOoOoO

Ten Ten had been at a small secluded area with a bench for a while just sitting there looking at the awe of the growing wild plants and thinking. Sensing a chakra pattern, she looked over to see Neji standing there looking at her with pitiful eyes. Ten Ten automatically sat straighter and watched with a question look on her face as he came over and sat next to her. Odd, he didn't have that err… 'Hyuga glow'. And she was absolutely surprised when his head fell on her shoulder and his own shoulders shook. He was crying, Neji Hyuga was crying. The boy for so many years had just used her as a doll to fight with and noticed when her when she had spoken a sentence that included fighting, was crying. On her shoulder.

She reached out her hand, with much caution and trembling, and patted him on the shoulder and let her hand stay there. They got in a way to were both sat facing each other with legs on the each side of the bench and Neji leaned forward resting his fore-head on her shoulder and she had both arms around him whispering 'It's alright. Cry.' Over and over again. Ten Ten didn't ask why he was doing this, or why he was doing it to her, but just sat there hoping that things got better, she was some how comforting him, and that he maybe did see more to her than she thought. Maybe.

OoOoOoOoOoO 2 year later OoOoOoOoOoO

Ten Ten stood there as she awaited for Neji to come back. He had went out to go see if he could find out who was in his sight when he had activated his byakugan earlier. It had been twenty minutes, and still no sign. Not even a slight sliver of chakra could she feel. Getting worried, she jumped through tree and tree trying to find some. Then boy, did she find some, it smacked her in the face pretty much. She slowed, jumped from the trees to walk through a berry bush and see Neji standing in a just made clearing; panting, no head band, (Showing the curse mark.) sweating like crazy, and byakugan activated. Ten Ten ran over to him just as he fell to the ground.

"Neji!"

"Ten Ten go away, I'm fin- OW!" He stopped when he had felt a rock poke his leg that was standing tall from the ground.

"Yeah, right. I'm going to treat you no matter what you say. You have lost TONS of chakra, and you're very weak-"

"I'M NOT WEAK!" he shouted and Ten Ten knew that he was not mad at her for saying that, but some people at his 'home'. He was weak, and pretty tired from the fight, and Ten Ten knew that he was unstable right now. He had been grumpt more than normal when they took the mission that morning. (It was just the two of them, Gai and lee had their own mission.)

"I know, you're not. I was going to finish that with 'right now from fighting so well.' See? Now let me see your face to check for any wounds. But he wouldn't roll his head to her sight so she could heal him.

"Neji, come on."

"No, I hate people looking at me like this. Why do you think I made that guy die?"

"Neji." She called in a soft voice. He slowly looked at her and she gently held his chin.

"When your curse mark shows, and you show signs from fighting, and winning, you're more handsome than ever."

For the rest of the time, Neji didn't complain as she tried to heal him with some things she had learned from Sakura.

OoOoOoOoOoO 2 years later OoOoOoOoOoO

Neji sat as Ten Ten placed two cups, really small plated for the cups, and a kettle with a tagged string out on the outside on the table. Neji had come over unexpectedly and had asked for a tea. Not demanded, requested, but asked. Ten Ten had, of course, had let him in her small one person apartment that she lived in. Same one she had lived in for pretty much all her life.

A clink could be heard as she set a plate and a cup in front of Neji and also in front of herself on the table. Gracefully pouring some tea into Neji's cup, she examined his face looking for any emotion or signs of what he was thinking about. Not finding any, she poured herself some, and sat down. She had just put the cup to her mouth to drink when Neji said something.

"Do you plan to live by yourself for the rest of your life?" Ten Ten looked at him, sighed, and placed her cup in it's platter.

"Yes."

"Why?" Such a simple question with a not so simple answer from a NOT AT ALL simple man.

"Neji, do you see anybody man wanting me? I sure as hell don't." _'Cuz' the only one I want is you, but you don't show any signs of ever asking me anything.'_

"…" He seemed to not have any response to this. Noticing that, and that he didn't say a thing about him doing anything with her, she sighed and picked the cup back to brush her fingers in a circle tracing the cup's rim.

"Anyways, who'd want a girl with no last name? Who'd want a girl who's never been in a dress before? Who'd give me away? Gai? Yeah right! And I've lived by myself as long as I can ever remember. I'm used to it and I don't see a thing changing that."

Neji didn't ask again, but seemed to think long and hard about it. Before he had even finished his second cup, and stood and said that he had to leave.

OoOoOoOoOoO 7 months later OoOoOoOoOoO

It was one of the worst sights- no it was the worst sight that Ten Ten had ever seen in her life. So many dead bodies. Just laying there in clumps, be themselves, and some leaning against a rock or something. When the Sound called for war, they ment it. But not all were Konoha ninjas that lay on the ground. Half were Sound. Ten Ten was standing back-to-back with Neji. Both with hands out in a fighting stance. A very faint whizzing sound, but with the now chill and silent battle ground making it louder including a small echo, sliced the air. A bigger than normal kunai came into sight.

"Ten Ten!"

It was very obvious that it was made to go at Neji, but it was also very obviously was tainted with poison. So this made Ten Ten jump in the way of it. Both gasped as it very deeply sliced her skin and plunged in her torso. Neji quickly took his own kunai, and threw it at the Sound ninja. Hearing another dead body hit the ground, Neji fell to the ground to see a pain grimaced Ten Ten clutching her sides.

"Ten Ten, what the HELL?!?! I could have just avoided it you know! We both could be standing right now, but no! You got in the way and took the shot and are now on the ground in pain!" He yelled. Ten Ten weakly opened her pained eyes to look at Neji. Knowing him for so many years, she could detect any emotion that escaped into his eyes. Lets see…pain, worry, regret, sadness, and with a tought of loneliness could be found.

"Neji, you're losing it, stop showing emotions before anyone catches it and takes it for granted."

"But-"

"When a fellow teammate has fallen from pain and you don't know how to help, you leave them be. It's, it's destiny." She smiled a small smile and tried to make it a joke, using Neji's most valued subject. But she only splurged blood from her mouth and on the ground.

"How the hell can I do that Ten Ten?!?! This is NOT your destiny! Your destiny was to wait for me to buy an engagement ring, say yes, marry me, have kids and make another branch family for the Hyugas! I can't let you be, and die. I was supposed to make you stop living all alone. And I need to do something," he said this as she quickly pulled out the kunai, (Earning him a cry from the female beneath him.) making her blood come slowly come out like a small river, "Damn it! I'm supposed to help you for once, like you did all those other times!" He franticly looked at all the blood. Damn the blood, damn it all.

"So you noticed huh? And I was supposed to marry you? Nice to think about after all those years of hoping I could have that chance. Sorry Neji, but it doesn't seem like I'm going to make it, I won't, and you can't change it. Destiny has taken its toll." She said looking at all the blood. But she looked up when Neji put his hand on the side of her face.

"I love you Neji. No stop looking so pain stricken, I'm sure you can find some pretty girl ninja in your life some day. But don't stop looking til' your 50, alright?" She smiled and leaned more into his hand. Neji just couldn't take it. She was willing to die, heck, she was telling him to enjoy his life! With out her though? With some other person that didn't know him so well? **Not** going to happen.

He dipped his head and kissed her cold lips. He felt her smile, and kiss him back. He raised his head upwards to look at her face. He reached up, let her hair out of it's buns, and saw about a down to the waist full of hair come lose. It was smooth and silky.

"Neji?" He looked behind him to see a tired, but sad looking Hinata and a large group behind her, also known as Rookie 9. He looked back at Ten Ten, but he had noticed her chest still, and her eyes closed.

Ten Ten was the only person to see him cry after his father had died, and now, the whole Rookie 9 was able to as he silently cried wetting her already bloody shirt that was clutched with both hands.

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AN: I feel like crying right now. Yall' might not, but I got into the mood. So tell me, how was it? Tell me! Hope all yall' Ten Ten and Neji lovers liked this. I've earned a lot of respect for this couple over time and tried this!!! I don't feel like editing this, I'll do it later, so if you see any mistakes, just ignore them!!!! (I JUST got done, see any more? Well, still ignore them!)

**Purplecherry5.Nancy-chan**


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